Irish report underlines need for security of supply
Ireland’s Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) said that the supply of natural gas in Ireland was a “critical issue” in the 2008 annual report to the European regulator.
The report focused on happenings in the market in 2008, outlining the fundamentals of the Irish market last year.
Natural gas accounted for 55% of the island’s power burn in 2007, the report said – 5% higher than 2006, and almost 10% higher than 2005. The realisation of the importance of natural gas to the supply mix meant that the regulator has taken a number of measures to secure supply. These include:
• Developing a proposal that would enhance the obligations of generators regarding stocks of secondary fuels.
• Continuing with the Task Force on Emergency Procedures group as a forum in which to discuss plans and procedures for managing a gas emergency or shortage.
On Monday, Bord Gáis, the dominant supplier in Ireland, said it would invest almost €280m in a gas storage facility in Northern Ireland, and said it was “in talks” for a similar facility at Kinsale, according to local press reports.
Ireland’s natural gas demand is to grow by 3% per year by 2013 because of an increase in demand for gas for power burn. At present, gas represents 25% of Ireland’s primary energy mix. SL
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